Julia Roberts
Academy-Award Winning Actor
Academy Award-winning Actor Julia Roberts joined the Alliance as a Global Champion in May 2011. Roberts first learned about this global initiative while interviewing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a special on the Oprah Winfrey Network on "Extraordinary Moms." In her role, Roberts lends her personae and credibility to support the Alliance in raising awareness about the environmental and health impacts that millions of people who cook on traditional cookstoves and open fires face the world over. On November 12, 2011, on the occasion of World Pneumonia Day, Roberts issued a statement to highlight one of the major causes of death among children under-five years of age. Children who consistently inhale harmful cookstove smoke are more likely to develop pneumonia, a killer condition in many developing countries. Most recently, Roberts published an article in the British Guardian newspaper drawing attention to the plight of women who cook on open fires. As a mother, Roberts reflected on how mothers in many developing countries jeopardize their health every time they cook a meal for their families. Roberts is a relentless champion of this issue and will use any opportunity to draw attention to both the problem and the available solutions.
